1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating film transfer tool for transferring to a surface a coating film for correction, an adhesive, a decorative coating film or the like that is coated on the surface of a transfer tape base material.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional coating film transfer tool is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined U.M. Application No. 13860/1995. This conventional coating film transfer tool basically has a structure as illustrated in FIG. 7(a) in which a transfer head 54 of this coating film transfer tool 50 can be rotated about the axis of a pivot shaft 60 (FIG. 7(b)) rotatably provided in a main body 52 (cassette). Further, the transfer head 54 is provided with tape guides 56, 56 for controlling the movement of the transfer tape T in the lateral direction (the direction of the width of the tape T) outside the main body.
A pressing transfer part 62 formed on the tip portion of the transfer head 54 and extending lengthwise in the lateral direction slightly protrudes from the ends of the tape guides 56, 56. The tape T passes over the application side of the pressing transfer part, which is the side facing the receiving surface, the laterally extending separating edge of the pressing transfer part 62, and then the return side (the upper side in FIG. 7(a)) of the pressing transfer part 62. The end edge of the pressing transfer part 62 is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 62, about which the head 54 is rotatable.
A tape unreeling rotary part 51 upstream of the head 54 and a tape reeling rotary part 53, or take-up reel, downstream from the head 54 are rotatably provided in the main body 52.
The transfer tape T, which is coated with a coating film, is reeled around the tape unreeling rotary part 51 and passes over the pressing transfer part 62 protruding outside from the tape guides 56, 56 with its coated side facing outward. Prior to running over the return side of the pressing transfer part, the tape T is separated into the coating film transferred to a receiving surface and a remaining tape base material as the application side of the part 62 is pressed against and moved over the receiving surface, and only the tape base material is reeled around the tape reeling rotary part 53.
FIG. 7(b) is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the coating film transfer tool 50 illustrated in FIG. 7(a). The transfer tape T is omitted in FIG. 7(b).
Triangular plate-shaped tape guides 56, 56 are formed on both sides of the transfer head 54 and, as described above, the pressing transfer part 62 protrudes from the tape guides 56, 56.
Therefore, when the pivot shaft 60 is rotated, the tape guides 56, 56 are also rotated about the same axis with respect to the main body 52.
While the transfer tape not shown is moved from the transfer head 54 to the pressing transfer part 62 to transfer the coating film to the surface to be transferred and then the remaining tape base material is returned from the transfer head 54 into the main body 52, the transfer tape T is guided by the triangular plate-shaped tape guides 56, 56. Thus, the position of the transfer tape T is regulated in the lateral direction.
When the coating film transfer tool 50 is used, the main body 52 is gripped by hand and the pressing transfer part 62 is moved in the direction shown by an arrow in FIG. 7(a) while it is pressed on the desired position of the surface to be transferred. Then, the tape unreeling rotary part 51 and the tape reeling rotary part 53 are rotated and the transfer tape T is unreeled from the tape unreeling rotary part 51 and is moved in the direction of the receiving surface and the coating film on the surface of the transfer tape T is transferred by the pressing transfer part 62 to the receiving surface. The remaining tape base material is reeled around the tape reeling rotary part 53.
Since the pressing transfer part 62 formed on the tip portion of the pivot shaft 60 is pivotally mounted on the main body 52, the transfer tape T guided by the tip portion of the pressing transfer part 62 is also twisted by the pivoting of the pressing transfer part 62.
Therefore, in the coating film transfer tool 50, even if the main body 52 is inclined to the surface to be transferred when the coating film is transferred to the surface to be transferred, the transfer head 54 is rotated and the transfer tape T is also twisted thereby and the whole width of the transfer tape T is uniformly put into close contact with the surface to be transferred, whereby the coating film can be correctly transferred to a desired location.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the coating film transfer tool 50 taken on line 8--8 in FIG. 7. FIG. 8(a) illustrates a normal position in which the transfer head 54 is not rotated and the tape is not twisted and FIG. 8(b) illustrates a twisted position in which the transfer head 54 is rotated and the tape is twisted.
As illustrated in FIG. 8(b), this type of coating film transfer tool 50 can be difficult to transfer the coating film if the pivot angle of the head, and therefore the twist of the tape, is excessive. If the main body 52 is inclined excessively to the surface to be transferred and the pivot shaft 60 is rotated thereby, the tape guides 56, 56 formed on the transfer head 54 are also rotated and put into contact with the transfer tape T. This can hinder the transfer tape T from running, peel the coating film on the transfer tape T off from the tape base material, or detach the tape T from the pressing transfer part 62.
Further, the rotated tape guides 56, 56 may exert a strong force to the transfer tape T, whereby the tape T might be cut.
In this respect, in this type of coating film transfer tool, a strong force is applied to the bottom of the pressing transfer part 62 pressed on the surface to be transferred and hence the transfer tape T tends to be moved in the lateral direction when the user's hands are unsteady. However, in the conventional coating film transfer tool 50, as is evident in FIG. 7(b), the pressing transfer part 62 itself can not control the movement of the transfer tape T.
Since, this type of coating film transfer tool 50 has the pressing transfer part 62 on the axis of the pivot shaft 60, when it is used, a slant angle D (see FIG. 7(a)) made by the pressing transfer part 62 and the receiving surface is small. Distance P between the main body 52 and the receiving surface is also small, which makes it difficult to see the receiving surface ahead of the tool and, in particular, the end position of transfer.
Since the transfer head 54 has triangular plate-shaped guides on both sides to control the position of the transfer tape T, it is difficult to check the end position of transfer because the guides obstruct the view. Therefore, it is difficult to finish transferring the coating film correctly at a desired position.
Thus, it can be difficult to correctly erase particular letters in a printed sentence.